ORMOC CITY HOSTS DSWD’S WALANG GUTOM PROGRAM CARAVAN. The Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office VIII (DSWD-8), in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Ormoc, held DSWD’s Walang Gutom Program (WGP) Caravan at the Ormoc City Superdome on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
The WGP, launched under Executive Order No. 44, is a national initiative aimed at reducing involuntary hunger among Filipinos from low-income and food-poor households. Accordingly, it aims to promote food security by making nutritious and affordable meals more accessible to vulnerable communities.
City officials, led by Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez, were also present to show their full support for the initiative.
Among the highlights of the event were key orientations, various social service booths, and the much-anticipated Provincial Walang Gutom Kusinero Cook-Off Challenge. The cooking competition highlights the importance of creating affordable, healthy, and delicious meals using locally available ingredients—supporting the advocacy for sustainable food practices and social behavior change.
The friendly culinary showdown featured five competitors representing different localities across the region, including Barangay Tambulilid, Ormoc City (Leagan Recipe of Gean Carampatana and Delia Turco), Barangay Cabulihan, Limasawa, Southern Leyte (Morcon Taiwan with Sauce of Cosme Guhiting and April Joy Ricarde), Camarobo-an, Jiabong, Samar (Tahong Spring Rolls and Banana topped with Malunggay Bread Crumbs of Jan Michael Gabon and Ruby Gabon), Barangay Vigo, Laoang, Northern Samar (Ubod ng Nipa Salad of Christopher Balanlay Morales and Aiza Tamayo), and Barangay San Gabriel, Borongan City, Eastern Samar (Laing of Susana Duranggo Canillas and Salvador Romero Canillas).
Also present were Undersecretary Eduardo M. Punay, Assistant Secretary Atty. Baldr H. Bringas, DSWD Regional Director Grace Q. Subong, Provincial Board Member Vince Rama, and DSWD personnel. (Grabbed from the City Government of Ormoc FB Page/EV Mail JUNE 16-22, 2025 issue)
